Lorene Oikawa
Lorene Oikawa is on the board of the National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) as past president and is currently working on legacy projects evolving from her initial work with the NAJC to set in motion legacy initiatives to honour Japanese Canadian elders and Japanese Canadian history. She is a fourth generation Japanese Canadian and a human rights activist. She is a descendant of survivors of the forced uprooting, dispossession, incarceration, and exile from 1942 to 1949. Her family came from Japan in the 1800s and 1906.
Updated February 2024
Stories from This Author
My Japanese Canadian New Year
Feb. 19, 2024 • Lorene Oikawa
When Lunar New Year celebrations are underway, I often get asked if I celebrate Lunar New Year. I let people know that I celebrate Japanese Canadian New Year on January 1. Japanese follow the Gregorian calendar, a solar calendar. However, this does not stop me from learning about and celebrating different cultures. One Japanese New Year’s tradition is the animal zodiac which is also followed by other Asian communities. 2024 is the year of the dragon according to the Japanese …
What’s in My Name? A Big River and Lots of Family Stories
Nov. 20, 2014 • Lorene Oikawa
Lorene is my first name. My mother chose my name for me. She liked the sound of the name, but not its typical spelling “Laureen” so she says she changed it. It wasn’t a familiar name especially in classrooms where most girls had names like Cathy, Susan, and Cindy. Most people thought it was a boy’s name and would pronounce it like Lorne or if they knew it was a girl’s name they would say Lauren. My last name Oikawa …
